Cloth laying machine



June 4 C. c. SCHNEIDER 2,2U3,979

CLOTH LAYING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 11, 19400 c. c. SCHNEIDER CLOTH LAYING MACHINE Fild June so, 1938 SSheets-Sheet a llllwwwtitila m I I KM M June 11, 1940. c. c:. SCHNEIDER CLOTH LAYING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 PatentedJune 11, 1940 NiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in cloth laying machines of a type to be used by garment makers for piling up layers upon layers of cloth on a long table after which the pile is patterned and then cut and the proper parts united and sewed together to constitute the desired garment.

This particular invention is an improvement over applicants former patent for cloth laying machines issued to him November 18, 1924, and numbered 1,516,212, and for catchers for cloth laying machines issued to him September 15, 1931, and numbered 1,822,908, which improvement herein embodies many new, modern, and valuable features and additions over his former patent, which renders his present invention more complete, practical and more effective in every respect.

The embodiments of themachine comprise a carriage equipped with a suitable table or platform on whicha bolt or bolts of cloth are placed, guide rollers over which the cloth is guided, cloth tension devices, a cloth spreading and inserting means which can be elevated as the pile increases in height, and is operative in combination with cloth catching devices, one located on each end of an elongated table by which the cloth is gripped and held firm while the carriage is being conveyed back and forward on the table during the cloth laying and piling process.

The important feature of this invention is to provide the cloth carrying carriage with a cloth spreading and insertingmeans which automatically tilts itself to a position for spreading, laying and piling the cloth on the table, and during the delivery of each layer it is so tilted as to direct and insert the cloth under a catching or gripping device when brought in contact therewith, at the same time locking the carriage to the catching device, and to manipulate cloth grippers when the locking means is released.

Another feature of the invention is the general arrangement, construction and combination of parts comprising a complete operative device as will be fully hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved cloth laying machine supported on a table and in close proximity to one of the cloth catching or gripping devices used.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the cloth laying carriage shown in relative position with the catching means, parts being shown broken away and parts in section. 1 l I Figure 3 is atop plan view of the same a part broken away and in section.

under the catching and beneath the elevating side heads are axially Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of thecarriage showing the releasing means made use of.

Figure 5 isan end view of the carriage positioned on a table.

Figure 6 is a vertical centralcross sectional view of the carriage.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail view showing the elevating mechanism made use of. Figure 8 is a detail sectional view of the ele- I0 vating manipulating mechanism.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of a guide roller and its means of support to the carriage frame.

Figure 10 is a detail view of the tension rods 5 made use of. r

In the general construction of my device, I provide a carriage the same comprising or consisting of two side frames and made preferably of angle bars, these two frames are connected by a cloth supporting tray or platform l 6 on which the bolt of cloth to be layed is placed. On the frame is mounted guide rollers l1, l8, I9, 20, 2!, and 22,

over which the cloth is passed and guided during the laying process.

' The carriageis provided with wheels 23 and 24,

the wheels 23 being grooved to operate on a track 25 formed on a cloth receiving table 26 which may be of any desired length.

Both sides of the frame are provided with elevating slides 21 between which are slidably mounted elevating slide heads 28 to each of which are swingingly mounted spreader arms 29 their ends being connected by angle bars 30, to the under side of which are attached spreader and cloth 3- inserter plates 3| by which the cloth is inserted gripping devices located on both ends of the table.

To the side frames of the carriage and directly mounted sprocketwheels 32, and to the cross bars 330i the frames is passed a shaft 34 supporting the guideroller 22, and on said shaft is mounted a sprocket wheel 35 which is in alignment with the lower sprocket Wheel and over which wheels operates a sprocket chain 36 the same being connected to the elevating slide heads at thepoint 37. By this arrangement the spreading and inserting means may be raised and lowered as the pile of cloth increases in height. 0

5 Tothe carriage frame is also supported tension rods 38 they are so arranged as to be positioned at any angleand held firm in such position by means of the tightening nuts 39. Between these rods the cloth may be passed, and by tilting said heads is provided with a releasing means which consists of a pin 43 of partly hollow construction and in which is positioned an expansive spring for normally holding the pin in extended position, this pin passes through a boss formed on the head against which is positioned a roller 44, the pin 43 supported in a suitable bushing passes through the center of the roller and projects a reasonable distance beyond to contact with a lug formed on the catching device for operating the catcher pin bars, all of which will be hereinafter described.

At each lower corner of the carriage frame is positioned projecting pins 45 the purpose of which will be hereinafter described, and the frame is also provided with handles 46 by which the carriage is conveyed back and forward upon the table.

In conjunction with the cloth laying carriage as described, the catching and gripping devices used are very essential in order to provide an operative apparatus for the purpose designed.

The catching devices comprise a pair of standards 41 having rack faces 48 and a slide guide rod 49, on this rod operates a slide head 50, and from one head to the other is an operating shaft 5| on which are fixed rack pinions 52 which engage with the rack bars 48, and on said shaft is a hand wheel 53 by which the shaft is turned, the purpose of which is to elevate the catching device to correspond with the height of the spreading device of the carriage as the pile of cloth increases in height.

In order to hold the catching device in the ad-, justed position I provide on the hand wheel ratchet teeth 54 and, engaging therewith is a ratchet pawl 55 carried by the head 50. On the shaft 5| is also supported arms 56 the free ends of which are attached to catcher cam heads 51 by which the spreading device is tilted to permit the inserter plate to pass the cloth under the catching mechanism.

These heads are provided with camways 58 and 59, the camway 58 permits the rollers 60 carried by the arms 29 to ride up the inclined surface ill raising the one end of the spreading device and lowering the opposite end so that the inserter plate 3| on the side (A) may pass under the gripper plate 52 carried by the heads 51, and in order to perform this action, the heads are slightly raised by means of its camway surface 59 engaging with the rollers 44 on the carriage frame, the position of the two surfaces being clearly illustrated in-Figures 2 and 4.

At the time when these contacts are made, the pin 43 engages with the lug 63 connected to a shaft 64 which controls the pin bar 65 which is provided with a plurality of pins 66 the same passing through holes 61 formed in the gripper plate 62 raising the pin bar upwardly bringing the pins out of contact with the cloth thereby permitting the inserter plate to pass the cloth thereunder, and when the same is done, and in order to release the pin bar the operator pulls the handle 'Bla releasing the lug 63 permitting ,each side frame and located between the pins to insert themselves in the pile of cloth, and in order that the inserter plate may freely remove itself, elongated U shaped slots are formed in the inserter plate as that shown by 68.

At this juncture the machine is locked by means of the-latch member 69 of the catcher mechanism contacting with thepins 45 located at the lower corners of the carriage frame. When this latch is released by the operator, the carriage by means of its handles 46 can be conveyed to the opposite end of the table where it will contact with a similar catching device and the operation repeated as previously described.

In Figure 6, I show the position of the cloth as it passes overthe guide rollers and through the spreading device. When found necessary to handle two bolts at one time, I may place on the cross frame above the table IS a second tray and lay the bolt of cloth on it, then the cloth is passed over the upper two guide rollers before contacting with the guide roller 20, then from there on two layers of cloth pass through the spreader. When it is found necessary to handle cloth that comes in rolls, I place the roll on a shaft 10 held in supports on the frame, and the cloth from-said roll is guided over the rollers in like manner.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise form and construction of the several parts, as some and other changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the invention above set forth without departing from the real spirit and purpose thereof; and it is my intention to cover by the following claims any modified form of structure or use of equivalents which may be readily and reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. A cloth laying machine comprising a carriage by which bolts or rolls of cloth are piled and spread on a table, said carriage having two side frames, a pair of elevating slides positioned centrally in said frames, slide heads positioned between saidelevating slides, a chain mechanism for raising and lowering said slide heads, spreader arms swingingly. mounted tosaid slide heads, cloth spreading plates carried by said spreader arms and by which the cloth is spread upon the table, in combination with a cloth catching means located on each end of the table for catching and gripping the cloth so laid, and a means carried by the carriage for elevating the catchers to permit the cloth to be passed thereunder. I

2. A cloth laying machine comprising a carriage having two arched side frames, a cloth supporting table located between said side frames, a pair of elevating slides positioned centrally in the table and the bottom rail of the side frame, a slide head positioned between each pair of elevating slides, a chain mechanism for raising and lowering said side heads simultaneously, spreader arms swingingly attached to said slide heads and carried with the same, cloth spreading plates carried by said spreader arms over which the cloth is guided and spread upon the table, in combination with cloth catching means positioned on each end of the table, cam heads forming part of the catching means, rollers carried by the carriage for contacting the cam heads for elevating the same to permit the cloth to be passed thereunder, means carried by said cam heads for gripping the cloth as passed thereunder, and a rack-mechanism forming part of riage having two said catchers for adjusting the heighth to com-, are elevated when contacted with the rollers carform with the increasing pile of cloth, and a meansfor releasing the cloth gripping means, and a locking device carried by the cloth catchers to engage with the carriage.

3. A cloth laying machine comprising a car side frames, a cloth supporting table supported between the same and upon which the cloth to be laid is supported, a cloth Y spreading mechanism positioned centrally between eaid frames and beneath the cloth supporting table, said spreading means consisting of two sliding heads each mounted between vertical tached to each of vided with cam guides and between which the heads may be raised and lowered, an endless chain mechanism connected to said heads and by which they are controlled, a clothspreading arm movably atthe heads, cloth spreading plates carriedby and attached to said spreader arms, rollers carried by said spreader arms, in combination with cloth catchers positioned on each end of the table upon which the cloth is to belaid, said catchers comprising cam heads proways by, which said cam heads ried by the spreader arms, and a cloth gripping means carried by the cam heads for gripping the cloth when the same is passed thereunder.

4. A cloth laying machine comprising a carriage, cloth supporting table located in said carriage, said carriage having vertical guides in which are slidably mounted guide heads, cloth spreading arms carried by said heads, said arms provided with cloth spreading plates, rollers carried by the spreader arms and arranged to contact with and elevate of cloth catchers, in combination with cloth catchers located on each end of the tableon which the carriage is mounted, thecam heads forming a part of said catchers, said cam heads provided with cam ways against the rollers comsaid cam heads to permit pass thereunder, an endelevating the spreading municate for elevating the cloth to be laid to less chain means for mechanism, and a rack and pinionmechanism for regulating the height of the cam heads.

cam heads forming a part CHARLES c. SCHNEEDER. 

